County can’t afford four more years of Valenzuela

The Olympian has published letters that extolled Karen Valenzuela’s performance as a Thurston County Commissioner and consequently endorsed her re-election bid. The letters did not mention her role in two fiscal fiascos that impact the pocketbook of every Thurston County taxpayer.

First, Valenzuela voted for the new Thurston County jail, a $45 million dollar jail which sits empty since completion. The critical step of having operations and maintenance funds was a bridge, or perhaps more correctly, a jail too far.

Second, Valenzuela was a significant player in the civil and property rights violations that were undertaken to prevent exercise of the vested Maytown gravel mine permits. The jury found in favor of the plaintiffs and awarded a $12 million dollar judgment against Thurston County.

Thurston County taxpayers can’t afford four more years of Valenzuela’s fiscal irresponsibility.